GrahamH
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Interesting about the EBS too – if anything goes ahead on this site, the minimum to be done is for the granite infill panels be replaced with glass.
Multi-coloured lit panels – sounds like a 1983 Latvian Eurovision set – very scary…Was it in yesterdays Indo?
I’ve been looking for a picture for ages – can anyone put up the pic and/or article – the subscription Indo online is blocking it out.The RDH claim that they are based in Dublin’s oldest Georgian house (built in 1752) which sounds ludicrous at first. But when you think about it – aside from Leinster House, it possibly is. Even Molesworth st, as crumbly and baroque as it is, is a teeny bit later.
There must be some contenders on Stephen’s Green south though, and perhaps those running alonside the Central Bank.The ‘house’ is crucial, otherwise Joe Walsh tours on the same street – as undeserving as the store is – would beat it hands down.
It did have that quality to it all right, as does the facade of the accommodation block facing onto College/Pearse St – this shouldn’t be touched – it’s so urban, gritty and sinister.
Are they the same Ashlin & Coleman of Clerys fame?
It’ll be interesting to see how this first major modern building in 30 years relates to the street.I just thought of the parade last night regarding the bollards, to cut the slabs into circles takes time & skill, so rather than rushing, quickly throwing down some slabs to accomodate the parade seemed the likely reason.
There was clearly a lot of work even in cutting slabs to fit around the two tall end bollards.I agree about the numbering, indeed it was a great shame that they had to be lifted at all – it’s like taking up the floorboards in a period house – immediatly you lose the history and connection with the past – the idea that a Georgian workman laid these bollards nearly 200 years ago is lost.
These traders should be compensated in some way, esp anyone who risks closure, they have gone through hell on this st moreso than anywhere else.
Abbey St didn’t have it too bad comparitively, but Harcourt was woeful for so many reasons.Ah they must be going back – sure they were listed. Definitely be following that up if they’re not reinstated.
The paving outside Easons is such a pleasure to walk on compared with what was there before – so even and smooth.You seen unsure as to whether it was tea or coffee you were drinking Brian – says a lot about Bewleys!
On the issue in general of people being utterly oblivious to anyone other than themselves on a street, it is extraordinary the amount of people who drive you off the footpath onto the roadway, 95% of them women.
The worst offenders are on Stephens Green, where if you’re walking near the edge and someone’s approaching you, instead of them moving more into the middle and allowing you to walk along the wide kerbs,they just stay put, forcing you out onto the road.
It is so rude and happens all the time – I know it sounds petty here but in ‘real lfe’ is infuriating.Oh – the trees in front of the GPO are going in now, and the uplighters between the trees on the Clerys side are being installed.
Admittedly I’ve never bought a thing in the place – just a good nose around at the lastest changes and slip out…
And their A/V section upstairs is pretty dismal, it should come on big time though once the builders reach that far up.Just on the issue of Clerys, or rather the building that pre-dated it, the New Mart monster store; I’ve always though it more than just a coincidence that this huge building, with all the bells and whistles of Victoriana was completed in 1853, slap bang in the middle of the Wide Streets Commission’s regemented Lr Sackville St, within 2 years of the Commission disbanding in 1851 and their powers being assumed by Dublin Corporation.
It would be more than just a tad humorous to think that the Corpo were wrecking the street from the moment they got their hands on it!
I know what it is now!
It looked like a standard classical figure in the prog, like those that adorn every major 18th century building, but it turns out it’s a big lump of carving, in the middle of the building next to the old Ulster Bank, which includes a figure sitting down, as well as other stuff like shields or coats of arms and spears etc.
Never noticed it before.
So it certainly is there now!What they should be complaining about is the manner in which half of the original silver lamp standards on the street have been replaced with those ridiculous ‘heritage’-based columns, which are being thrown up down Camden St, only with the original heads transplanted onto them.
This is disgraceful, part of the charm of Harcourt St was the historic feel of the place with the wonky railings & subsiding steps combined with the chunky bases of these silver Victorian columns.
There are some now-rare swan-neck examples on the other side, that I fear are about to get the chop.I thought we left these destructrive days long ago.
There was a series called ‘Hands’ recently aired after being digitally remastered, which was similar and equally excellent in its simplicity.
I was talking about the old Jurys d d dallas, on the site of the oh so nasty Ulster Bank across the road.
Admitedly I’ve never seen a pic of it, but from descriptions, always assumed it to be a big frilly Victorian pile. There was a shot in the programme looking over College Green, with a very classical looking statue perched on a rooftop framing one side of the shot.I was wondering what building it was on, because it certainly ain’t there now!
The city was manky at the time, it’s interesting that it was the private Bank of Ireland who were the first to clean one of the city’s classical buildings. Indeed it took another 9/10 years before the Custom House was even touched by the State, and it took Trinity until 1993/4 to start cleaning the West Front, which was the dirtiest in Dublin by a long shot.
The BOI even cleaned their building again in the early 90s after the intial cleaning and restoration in the 70s.
Think it was knocked in 1969 or 70. I’ve never seen a pic either, or a decent one of Gilbeys for that matter.
With regard to department stores, unfortunately there simply aren’t any Irish ones, save Clerys, Arnotts and Roches(ish) – all of which are now well established in their locations. Looking abroad is the only option.
A continental store would be preferable, and considering Harvey Norman’s ease of move here – all be they used to it – it can’t be that difficult for a non-British store to come to Dublin.
Although – condsidering Arnotts commandering programme, it won’t be long before they reach O’ Cll St anyway!The street is so lucky to have Clerys, it really isn’t pointed out enough, both in terms of the institution and the building itself.
It’s entrance doors are just magnificent, it’s remarkable they’ve survived. Also great are the bronze display windows, and the windows above ground floor which have fanastic profiles and detailing, as well as the many brass name plates at ground floor level.And there’s some much unnoticed beautiful stone carving too, comprising heads and wreaths, at the join with the first floor.
The fact that it’s an Irish business, and an old one at that, is possibly the best aspect to it, and that it’s surviving in what is now a hugely international industry. And whereas its ground floor is now very international in produce, the upper floors are remaining distictively Irish (and affordable), selling flowery curtains and all that malarkey.
It’s so bizarre at the moment, going up the escalators, passing through the grand columned ground and first floors, and suddenly landing back in 1976 on the 2nd floor, with the suspended ceilings, flouresent tubes and brown carpets!The renovations thus far have been meticulous, with the one exception of the ceilings on the ground floor, where the new suspended panels with new lighting are a bit too wide, concealing too easily the original plasterwork – that ridge-and-ribbon design – so typical of the 1910s & 20s.
😀
Interesting that all of this stone was replaced then, surely it wasn’t in that bad condition?
One of these curving walls dates from the same decade as the Custom House, and one from later again.The stone wouldn’t have been replaced today if the restoration was happening now. I was deeply suspicious of it for years, but used to just stroll along happily thinking ‘Ah good old tough Wicklow granite, there’s nothing like it!’ – until the bombshell hit a few years ago!
What a beautifully shot and edited programme it was too, there’s so many of these little gems from the 70s that are popped in whilst Coronation St is on – well worth seeing.
Did you see that shot d d dallas of Trinity from somewhere over the Ulster Bank across the road? There was a statue in the foreground of the shot, do you know if it was on Jurys?
Of course this is the key to it all, a decent, well-designed store with a broad range of produce would be welcome – rather than a place with a standardised factory churned-out bland interior, limited stock and general poor quality environment.
The description of ‘conveniece store’ isn’t encouraging, but then again, they’d hardly call it a supermarket either. Is there a demand though for such quality at the top end of O’ Cll St, joining with Parnell St of all places?
I was passing the other day and that area was crammed with mothers with buggies screaming at each other, hoards of kids queueing for the Savoy, and the place littered with rubbish; it’s gonna be hard to change…Did someone mention way back that the whole Eircom building is to be refaced?
I saw the new Spar on Talbot St too – all you can do is laugh.
The trees look really good, it would also appear that accommodation is being made for a sunken light at either side of each tree.
On the median the sunken lights are all ready in, they’re only in the treed areas though. Also the main carriageway lamps are going along the side pavement edges rather than the median.
The paving beneath the portico of the GPO is finished, with a strip of the pink granite filling in the gaps between the columns that I’m hmmming about…Also found out that a Super Valu convenience store is moving into the Eircom building at the northern end. You’d despair, you really would…
